He placed one arm around the neck of his aunt and kissed her affectionately, shook hands with Dinah, adding as he crossed palms with his uncle: "I expect to see you again, soon. Keep up a good heart, auntie, while we are gone, which I don't think will be for long. Good-by, all!" He put his foot in the stirrup, swung himself into the saddle, at the same moment that his companion did the same, and the couple headed their animals to the northward. Captain Shirril and the women remained in the door, looking forth in the darkness, and listening until the sounds of the hoofs died out in the distance. Then the Texan led the way inside, adjusting the bar in place so that no one could enter without permission. The extra horse which Avon had ridden to the cabin was turned loose in the bush, to be recovered and used by the captain when he wished to ride to the camp. Ballyhoo had removed the saddle and bridle, which lay in the corner where Avon's had awaited him. The Texan stood a minute, looking around the room, as if trying to recall any forgotten duty, but thought of none. "It is later than I suspected," said he, addressing his wife and consulting his watch again; "and we may as well retire." He lighted a common tallow candle, and with that in his hand, led the way up the ladder, followed by the others. Fifteen minutes later, everyone was sleeping as soundly as though the evening had not been disturbed by any unusual incident. CHAPTER XXIV. A STRANGE DELAY. Meanwhile Avon Burnet and Gleeson continued riding northward at an easy gallop, their eyes and ears on the alert for sounds of their friends or enemies. "Do you remember this spot?" asked the elder, drawing his mustang down to a walk, after going some distance. The youth looked keenly round in the gloom, but saw only the level plain, similar to that over which they had ridden since leaving the cabin. A dark object on the ground caused him to force his pony toward it. "That must be one of our cattle," he said inquiringly. "It's what is left of him; that's the steer that the Comanche brought down when he took a shot at you." "Ah, this is the place where you joined me?" "Percisely." "But where is _he_--that is, his body?" "They've took it off; you know how hard the Comanches try to carry away their dead and wounded." "I saw a proof of that while hunting for Thunderbolt, but I didn't think they would be able to find this one." "They must have heard the shot and his cry, and though we made things hum about them, they took time to look into it and bear the body away." "I wonder now whether that could have been Wygwind," said Avon, referring to the notorious leader of whom we have spoken. "No," was the decisive reply of Ballyhoo. "Why not?" "He is a powerful brave Injin, but plenty of his warriors can outrun him. This one was too good on his feet to be him."